We buried her days later. I'm not even sure how many. I was still in shock, just trying to understand how this could have even happened.
How could Gale of all people have drowned?
But there she was, dead and in the grave. We poured resin over her body; it solidified and remained clear. In time, things from the ground would work their way up and the body would start to decompose. Gale would slowly dissolve into the soil, leaving the resin still in her shape. In time there would be nothing left, marking the end of the most protracted mourning, and we would remove the resin and make a death mask.
And life would go on, the same as usual, but without Gale in it.